Training Da Hooo-manz

"Hooo-manz don't know things. You hasta teach dem things, like treat dispensings. Silly hooo-manz."

HOOO-MANZ. STAHP HOOO-MANZ!

Hooo-manz gotsa be trained. 

Madonna is taking applications for new minions...er... adoptive parents. Yeah, that's the right term. Sure. 

She knows some basic obedience such as sit, lay down, kennel, "let's go outside", "come on, inside," and up (into the car). She is good on a leash, but could use a little more reinforcement with the “heel” command. She performs beautifully with a martingale collar, and stays close. She really just wants to be with you. She is inquisitive about her surroundings, but she bonds tightly and does stay close even when off leash in the fenced yard. She does come back on command. Madonna is very well crate trained and LOVES to hang out in her crate on her doggie bed with the door open. She prefers to eat in her crate as well, and is generally a little foodie, always ready for a snack or a meal. She's also very well potty trained. Potty time is a cinch because she is bell trained and will touch the hanging bells on the back door to let you know she needs to go out. 

Madonna responds well to correction and will return to you or at least stop what she’s doing if you catch her up to mischief, but she’s generally well behaved in the house. She’s too short to counter surf, but you should secure your garbage can with a lid. She plays very nicely with her own toys, generally keeps her teeth to herself, but watch out for your flip flops. She also likes to take your socks into her kennel for some reason, but she doesn’t destroy them. She’s not noisy at all, but will alert you if you have someone knocking at the door. She might dig if you leave her in the yard too long for playtime. 

It should be mentioned that Madonna is female preferent, and can be fearful of some men. She is terrified of her foster dad, and will hide in her crate or under the table. She will selectively warm up to certain men, but prefers them to be sitting down. Over time she should improve, but you must be very patient. She would best be suited in a home without men, but over time with the right guy, that could change, but right now she has some old demons from her past that make her cower and hide around most men.

Ready to put down roots!

Madonna is an extreme snuggler! She wants nothing more than to be cuddled up, draped across your lap. Her favorite thing in the entire world is to be right next to you. She is great with other dogs, large and small, male and female, but will try to be dominant over other females, so better with submissive females. Madonna is quite trustworthy with indoor cats, especially cats that stand their ground and set boundaries. She generally just ignores them, but will tuck her tail and run if they swat at her. Outside she might chase if they run, but will generally respect them if they continue to enforce boundaries.  

Madonna is currently being fostered at a farm. She loves (to eat) chickens and other fowl. She just loves feathers! Can’t blame her, chicken is tasty. She’s just being a dog. She is ok with the goats and horses, though perhaps a bit fearful of their size, but completely untrustworthy with birds. Even with a fence in between, she will seek a way into the chicken yard. She cannot be trusted with pet birds inside a house either. Aside from that, she has tested just fine with every other animal she has come across, including dogs at the park, dogs at a friend’s house, and cats at her foster family’s extended family’s houses over the holidays. No pet birds? No worries! Madonna is, in that case, a perfect fit! Buddies of the furry variety are just fine with her!